The yarn was bought quite some time ago and it has been wasting away in my yarn basket since then. The colour is fantastic, a bit dusty rose pink, just the way I like it, but I couldn't find any pattern for it. The problem was solved, as usually, when the new issue of Estonia's crafts magazine was published. I find at least 3 or 4 things to knit in every issue, which I cannot say of any Finnish, Swedish or American magazine.

This pattern looked amazing in the magazine, but that can have something to do with the pro photographer and a pretty model. On me the top is a bit more flappy and baggy and should I do this ever again (not likely), I would choose to make the size S, at least with the sleeves. But this'll do, the tulippy motif is so nice.

So this was the beginning of my summer knittings. What's on your summer agenda? Are you going to knit something summery or get a head start with the winter projects?

Tuesday's child is full of grace,Wednesday's child is full of woe,Thursday's child has far to go,Friday's child is loving and giving,Saturday's child works hard for living,And the child that is born on the Sabbath dayIs bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

My mum's friends are having a baby and so I got as an assignment to knit something for the little thing. I used DROPS Baby Merino on this jacket since I think it's a good quality yarn and really, really soft and suitable for babies. Plus it has a couple stronger and livelier colours, like turtle green and burning orange, which I think are nice for children. Don't get me wrong, tender pastels are awefully pretty too and I'll get to those later on. The pattern was really good too, well written and really easily modified (you can make shorter sleeves or longer torso part). I added an i-cord strings inside the garment (the bottom pic) so that it makes squirming out of the jacket a bit more challenging for the baby and so that the size is a bit more adjustable. And pretty wooden sheep buttons, which unfortunately make this jacket non-machine washable.

I've done things like lace socks, lace shawls and sweaters and pullovers... but never i-cord. So I had to learn it for this one, as most people in Ravelry had finished the garment with added i-cord edge and it looked really neat. I skimmed through a couple set of instructions and this is the one that I found the easiest.

The next projects for the baby are boots and a hat. For the hat I already bought two balls of Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK, in colour pastel green. Just like the name suggests, the yarn really is sublime and from the a-bit-more-expensive-than-most-but-not-too-pricey end of the yarn spectrum, though it really would make a difference in a student's budget. But my mum is buying this round, so I figured screw price.

Sunday, 18 March 2012

Here's the thing: I'd rather spend my Sunday mornings baking, knitting and universally just sitting on my behind than doing all those adult obligations. There's a crying injustice in the world: I was promised a fun, laid-back university life, but instead I got weekly assignments and compulsory lecture attendance. Usually I don't care, but this is one of those cranky, flu-y mornings. So just to pick myself up, I began the day by baking, so that I can later sink slowly back into the relentless swamp of deadlines.

Focaccia. I've tried to whip this damn thing up a couple of times without success. This time, as if it sensed my poor mood, it worked out perfectly... Or it could be the new recipe I tried, come to think of it. I used Leila Lindholm's Pala kakkua - ja paljon muuta recipe. She has fantastic, if very buttery and creamy, pastries and cakes, but as a source of inspiration and alteration the book is great. So here it is: perfectly tangy, salty, mellow focaccia. This with tea...

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Spring in Finland is actually a matter of decision. One March morning, we just get up and choose to start using our Converses, high heels, itsy bitsy skirts and light jackets - and it really has nothing to do with the actual temperature outside. Yep, the transition might begin because of a couple of days of warmth, but once you do it, you don't go back to your winter mode no matter what happens. Today, it hailed. And nobody seemed to give a flying frak about it. Not in the least I, even though I froze and cursed during every single minute outside. But anyways, since it's spring and everything just has to be peachy, I post something that makes my heart flutter for a while.

These cool worn out vintage gloves cost only 3e and are already a bit scruffy, so I didn't even hesitate with the scissors. The cuff off...

Then cut a heart motif in the middle of the glove and folded the cuff edges in and sewed, then titivated the heart edge with zigzag. I turnt the scraps of leather into cuff straps.

Nothing original, but added a couple of years for my gloves. Minna Parikka has really pretty gloves with hearts on them, but as a broke student I'll make do with these poor man's versions.

Friday, 9 March 2012

When I bought my lovely Marimekko curtain, the helpful assistant at the shop shoved a spring catalogue into the bag to go with my brand new fabric. I haven't used all of the the Moomin envelopes yet, but the pictures in the catalogue were so awfully summery and pretty that I had a sudden crafts attack.

There were more than nine pages but most of them had creepily smiling Finnish people on them, so I chose to use them as material for the address windows. My favourites are the one with the woman and the baby and the one with the falling water ....I just can't wait for all that snow to melt so that I can run around in colourful skirts and shoes, without looking like a Marshmallow Man like I do now.

Friday, 2 March 2012

I finished these a week ago but been busy at work during these last seven days so I've been postponing photographing. The sun came up around 8-ish but the whole morning was cloudy. Then, 10 min before I was supposed leave for the bus, it came out and the whole kitchen was bright as the mid-summer. Truly, nothing's better than taking a photo of your own feet in a hurry. It's up there in my top 3 with long queues in the supermarket when you have the thickest winter coat on and a trip to the public dental care. Almost as painful too as I nearly (accidentally) stabbed myself with a rogue kitchen knife that was lying around on our table and then tripped over my own feet while dashing to the door.

I just fell in love with the pattern, it looks really beautiful but is really easy to memorize. The original pattern repeated the colourwork pattern throughout the sock but I chose to knit more DROPS-y sole and toes for these, since I like the stripes and it's easier to knit. What can I say, I'm a Taurus (or just that lazy anyways).